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Neytiri looked at her palms, at her hands, which had life in them. Pril. That's a beautiful name. She looked at Ronal's lifeless body and tears she thought were gone rolled down her cheeks. Ronal had given her life to die - her last, most important wish in her life. Neytiri stroked the baby's head. If they survived, if she was destined to survive this life, if the Great Mother heard their call, if....
Tsahìk's lifeless body lay before her, as if a reminder of the cycle. Infinite, equal, a reminder that no one is ever eternal. Only the Great Mother is eternal, only her laws, only her breath. Neytiri clutched Pril to her chest.
“Your mother was strong, your mother was a warrior,” she was not the one who should have said that. This was not how a child should have been born. Pril should have been born in the water, not on bloody cold rocks, Ronal's wide arms should have held her to her heart, not Neytiri's slender hands smeared with her own and other people's blood. This was wrong. This child was innocent proof that war would be brutal. Would take children from mothers and mothers from children. Neytiri pressed Pril to her heart. Its thumping was to remind Pril of the thumping of her own mother, in whose womb she had been for many months, in whose arms she was to cry for the first time.
"You'll be just as strong, Pril, you'll be just like your mum," Neytiri wished she had at least tried to dissuade Ronal from joining the battle. She wished the child in her arms would never know what Ronal was like. How arrogant, stubborn, hardworking, knowledgeable and loyal the Tsahìk of the Metkayina clan were. Neytiri will take care of Pril, be it two hours, two years, two centuries - as long as she can breathe, as long as her hand can hold a weapon, as long as Ronal's promise resounds on her tongue, as long as her lips are sooty from the plea she makes to her Mother.
***
As Pril joins the Tree of Souls, Neytiri feels joy. The strongest she has felt since Neteyam died. She was able to protect this child, she saved this child, she helped connect him to the Mother. Now Ronal will be able to watch her girl grow, her floating arms grow stronger, new tattoos on her face, arms and legs, her laughter. Neytiri smiles, easy and wide, as if there is nothing more important in the world, as if nothing else exists but this. It does.
"You saved her," Ronal finds her in the world of souls. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and in her arms is Pril, snuggled up to her mother as she should have been. She is lulled by her mother's breath. She is safe.
"Yes,” Neytiri reaches out her palm to her forehead, “I can see you, Ronal,” she should have done. But it's as if Ronal didn't believe it, but that doesn't offend Neytiri. Tsahìk's palm presses against her forehead, and she repeats Neytiri's movement.
"I see you, Neytiri,” Ronal smiles broadly, the pure and gentle smile she had when she saw her Spiritual Sister. Neytiri never thought she would be the cause of such a smile from Ronal. And she responds in kind. Reaches forward, wrapping her hand around Ronal's broad forearm as friends and allies do. Ronal grins, but Neytiri knows she is pleased by it.
"I'll help Pril, I promise,” Neytiri says, squinting and feeling like crying. The words sound like a prayer she offered to the Great Mother. Ronal nods and smiles.
"And I can look after Neteyam, let Grace do a good job of that," she grins and they both turn to where Grace, Jake, Kiri, Spider, Neteyam, Lo'ak and Tuck are standing. Jake has his arm around Grace's shoulders and is arguing with his long time friend about something, Kiri and Spider have their arms intertwined and now Neytiri feels nothing but joy from it. Lo'ak along with Took are telling Neteyam something funny, causing her firstborn to laugh out loud. For there is no death, they are returning here to the Great Mother, to the roots of her trees and the salt waters. They were here once as guests and will be here one day as hosts. To welcome those who are still alive and embrace those who have been dead.
"Go to your family,” they say at the same time, causing both of their ears to perk up and their tails to twitch.
"You should be with your husband and children, they are grieving for you," Neytiri smiled sadly as she looked at Tonowari, Tsireya and Aonung talking to their ancestors.
"And you should be with your son," sadness slid across Ronal's face. She lowered her eyes to her daughter, looking at the world around her with interest. Her lips tightened.
"No matter what happens, I will be there to help Pril,” Neytiri stroked the girl's head, 'no matter what happens, until my last breath, I will protect my children.' - Ronal nods.
"May the Great Mother always be on your side," she smiled as she headed towards her family. Neytiri nodded and walked towards hers.
It was a shame Ronal had to die so they could talk like this. It was a shame that the first heartbeat Pril heard was Neytiri's and not her mother's.